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Texas Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

The Adventures of a Cello

Published in Hardcover by University of Texas Press (2006-10-01)

Author: Carlos Prieto

List price: $24.95

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Average review score:

Classical Cello Story

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-08

This is a facile read...an entertaining and enlightening account of the "life" of a priceless Stradivari cello since its "birth". Along the way we learn briefly of the various characters who played a significant role in the cello's life history. The first part of the book gives a review of famous stringed instrument makers and the construction of these instruments. Ideal for either the interested "aficionado" or professional musician.

Cello Players (And Others) Will Enjoy This Book

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-13

My husband, a professional cellist, received this book as a gift. He enjoyed it immensely. He has sent at least 5 of them to other cellist friends--some professional, some who just love to play. All reports from those who have received this gift have been wonderful. Highly recommended to those who play... and those who don't... there's a lot of interesting information about the instrument, the musicians who play and teach, and the world of music.

Cello players and classical music enthusiasts will relish this affectionate survey.

Helpful Votes: 11 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-05

In 1720 the elderly violin maker Stradivari made a masterpiece: it was known as the 'Red Stradivari', but it wasn't a violin - it was a cello. Under its new name, the Piatti, it left Italy on a tour, to eventually become the author's key to success. Here is the history of Piatti, from its creation through its different owners. Cello players and classical music enthusiasts will relish this affectionate survey.

Warm and different

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-19

I loved this book and you don't have to be a cello enthusiast to enjoy reading it. Some parts are a bit slow but the good stuff makes up for it. Prieto has a personable writing style and obvious emotional attachment to his cello that is infectious. He structures the story well - his path to cello stardom is unusual and offers life lessons to people of all ages. He draws the reader in early with the tension behind "How did HE end up with a Strad cello???" The book is kind of a smorgasbord of music trivia/ commentary, including and engaging (if informal) overview of the great composers from the past to the present (much better than the historical overview in The Cambridge Companion to the Cello). Lastly, he is also of an age where his own life story is begins to offer a window into an era gone by. Sr. Prieto will be on your "dream dinner party" list after you read this. Buy the book and pass it on...!

Cellist's encyclopedia

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-20

Prieto's fascinating account of his famous cello's life is just the base upon which he gives a wealth of information about cellos, cellists, the cello literature, performances, and the world of the classical musician. Cellists and anyone appreciating cello music will find many portions they can use or be amused by.

Alamo Heights: A Novel

Published in Hardcover by Texas Christian University Press (1999-04)

Author: Scott Zesch

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Average review score:

It was great, really!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 1999-07-07

Alamo Heights is a wonderful, entertaining book. Buy it

Thoroughly enjoyed this book; very entertaining!

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 1999-09-20

This book is very entertaining. One of the best ways to judge a book is to ask yourself, "Do I want to learn more about this topic?" With Mr. Zesch's book the answer is emphatically "Yes!".

Rose of Texas

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2000-01-07

This was a fascinating read. Mr. Zesch has taken a sweeping historical saga and distilled it to its human core. It was refreshing to read that the battle for the Alamo was about more than Davy Crockett and his coonskin cap. I celebrated Rose's triumph as if it were my own. I am convinced this author has much more to say. I can't wait to read his next work.

Alamo Heights by Scott Zesch

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-12-10

In 1903, the Alamo was almost destroyed. A large eastern business interest came with plans to raze the abandoned Hugo-Schmeltzer warehouse and erect modern buildings in its place. The old warehouse was an eyesore and stood as a daily reminder that perceived progress is only transitory.

The problem? The gaudy wooden building, that in some ways resembled an amusement park structure with it's crenelated exterior and fake cannon, sat atop the original stone construction of Mission San Antonio de Valero's convent--a.k.a. the Long Barracks. In short, they wanted to tear down the Alamo.

Under the leadership of two extraordinary women, Adina de Zavala and Clara Driscoll, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas engaged in what became known as the "Second battle for the Alamo."

Clara Driscoll, a wealthy socialite, put up the $75,000 necessary to buy the property with the understanding that the State of Texas would buy it back and assign custodianship to the DRT. Adina de Zavala, a Mexican-American woman whose roots ran deep in Texas, was a fierce advocate for preserving the historical structures of San Antonio. Two women from two different cultures, but with a common goal.

Because we hold the Alamo and all that it represents so dear, it's surprising, that the people of Texas were once politically divided on this issue. For five long years there were turbulent disputes. It finally took Adina de Zavala barricading herself inside the Alamo for three days to bring resolve to the situation and to protect the buildings from demolition.

In Scott Zesch's novel, the title "Alamo Heights" represents the social struggle between Anglos and Hispanics and within the strata of Hispanic culture itself. In 1903, Alamo Heights was the Knob Hill of San Antonio. If you lived in Alamo Heights, then you had arrived.

In the novel, Adina De Zavala is characterized by Rose De Leon Herrera, the wife of a young aspiring lawyer, Antonio Herrera. In one sense, she and her husband "have arrived" and are part of San Antonio's social elite. At the same time they must struggle to remain there. Antonio Herrera is constantly mortified by his wife's outspoken behavior for fear it may topple him from his hard-won social position. Rose Herrera wants to protect the Alamo as a symbol of her heritage. To do so, she comes to odds with nearly everyone.

Clara Driscoll is characterized by Alva Carson Keane a young girl of privilege who has become a popular modern romance authoress. Alva's reasons for saving the Alamo property, we find, are to erect a monument to her late cattle-baron father.

Both women are strong characters and conflict ensues as their egos and cultures clash. This conflict becomes clear when we discover that Alva is heir to Tres Piedras, a large cattle ranch near Laredo that once belonged to Rose's grandfather. Bad blood, culture and race separate these two women, but they are brought together by a common bond: to save the Alamo.

Zesch introduces us to an equally strong character in sculptress Mathilda Guenther, a composite of several real artists. Matilda is an older woman, but a free spirit who was born too early. A friend and ally to Rose, she would have fit in nicely into the bohemian communities of Soho, Paris or Berkeley.

Rafael Menchaca is the only strong male character in the novel. He is a coarse and uncultured mariachi/street vendor who calls himself the "voice of the people." He expresses his rebelliousness by idealistically voicing the struggles of his people through his songs. Socially, he is the antithesis of Rose Herrera and resentfully describes her kind as the "Tejano Bourgeoisie"

An intergral subplot develops when Rose's son, Enrique, a promising musician, aspires to become an apprentice to Rapheal Menchaca. In the process he falls in love with Menchaca's daughter Eva, a beautiful and talented sculptoress. Menchaca's opposition to this relationship soon draws Rose away from her lofty position in Alamo Heights.

Scott Zesch's novel, Alamo Heights, is a fictionalized account of the fight to preserve the Alamo. He has brought to life another time and place and thoughtfully interwoven this landscape with fully-developed characters, most of whom are based on real individuals.

The groundwork for his characterizations comes from his in-depth research of Zavala, Driscoll and others and of a time in San Antonio's history where women, especially strong outspoken women were a rarity.

The author's grasp of the cultura, or Tejano culture, at the beginning of the twentieth century is comprehensive. He examines Hispanic's attitudes toward women as their community struggles to inculturate with the growing Anglo population.

Each character is dynamic and self-determined, possessing an individual agenda. Zesch skillfully orchestrates his characters through his main story line and numerous subplots, creating a fascinating tale not of history, but an intriguing interpretation of real historical events.

Though heady stuff, Alamo Heights, is a light, easy read. It is well written and has inspired me to look further into its historical story behind the story. I look forward to future offerings from Scott Zesch.

Randell Tarin, Managing Editor(emeritus)
Alamo de Parras

Historical & Entertaining Novel

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 1999-08-31

As a native San Antonion, I picked up this novel because of its name. I was pleasantly surprised to find such an interesting and entertaining historical novel. I didn't remember the story of the woman who saved the Alamo from History Class, but I enjoyed learning about it. The main character, Rose, is very intense and passionate about her cause, saving the Alamo, and about her family. It was fun to watch the twists and turns of the plot unfold. I stayed up two nights in a row till 2a.m. to find out what would happen next. I liked the style of including letters and telegrams throughout the book, as well as Spanish words sprinkled among the text. I would recommend this highly.

American Aquarium Fishes (W L Moody, Jr, Natural History Series)

Published in Hardcover by Texas A&M University Press (2000-09)

Authors: Robert J. Goldstein, Rodney W. Harper, and Richard Edwards

List price: $40.00

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Average review score:

American Aquarium Fishes (W L Moody, Jr, Natural History Series)

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-13

Great book fo native fishes written for the beginner and advanced hobbiest alike. Easy reading with many color photos.

The native fish bible

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-12

I recently managed to buy a copy of this book and from what I have read so far it is a book that should be on the shelves of fishophiles everywhere, aquarist or not. The book covers a wide range of species, mostly darters and cyprinids and goes into good detail on how to keep and breed them. With native fish keeping resources being rare this book may very well be the best of it's kind. One feature I really liked was the chapter covering the laws and regulations of various states, something that many people are curious about when out collecting. About the only thing I didn't like was that it neglected to mention many of the larger species. Bullheads, perch, bass, trout and many others are not given a lot of attension if any at all. The author deems them either to large or to dificult to breed in captivity so he leave them out.

Fairly good.

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-10

The book in its entirety is fairly good. The authors tried to cover a broad scope. This book may be useful for the breeder in that there is specific information on each species. Please note that you may need to combine the information in this text with information from other sources (print, web, etc.) to take complete care of your native fishes.

The depth and detail and the vivid photos are impressive

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2001-01-24

This comprehensive reference volume will appeal to both specialty and general-interest libraries: American Aquarium Fishes provides over 118 color and over 200 black and white photos of various species of aquarium fish, providing detailed discussions on where to find native fishes, how to collect and transport them around the globe, and regional rules of collecting. The depth and detail and the vivid photos are impressive.

The best reference to date!

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2000-11-17

It's about time that a talented group of aquarium hobbyist (who are also biologists I believe) got together to write a book that the layman can understand and appreciate. You will not find convuluted passages common in the scientific literature. Each species account is well written and contains the information that the hobbyist wants.

Goldstein, Harper, and Edwards are well known hobbyist and if there are any real experts in the field, it's these guys.

This is an all around great reference for the North American native fish hobbyist.

Ancestors and descendents of James Monroe Boase (1855-1934) of Erath County, Texas

Published in Unknown Binding by J.A. Mead (1991)

Author: John A Mead

List price:

Average review score:

interesting view of psychoanalysis

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-27

On the one hand this is an intelligent auto-biographical novel that is well-written entertaining and easy to read and on the other hand it is a description of an individual's experience of being on the receiving end of psychoanalysis. It is interesting and enjoyable whether you want to read about a colonial childhood in 1930s Algeria or an adult's experience of psychoanalysis in 1960s Paris. The afterword by Bruno Bettelheim is useful additional material on the latter.

The fear of a child

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-13

In this forceful and disturbing novel, a woman discovers slowly the real (psychic) reason of her illness: an irresistible continuing loss of blood.
During her psychoanalysis, she succeeds in demolishing the thick wall that separates her from the extremely painful truth and the origin of her disorder: the fear of a child. The story unveils masterly the reasons of this fear.

Marie Cardinal evocates fiercely her violent psychic battle with her unconscious in order to force it to reveal its secrets, her fear to (re)discover forgotten painful, but crucial, incidents or the psychic violence needed to open the doors of the subconscious.

Her book is also a profound meditation on the impact of a `colossal' religion on people's lives (interdiction of divorce) and on the female condition and female psychology.

A formidable and shocking book.
A must read.

"...a beautiful and terrifying story..."

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 1998-11-27

"...a beautiful and terrifying story in honor of all people.... Van Vactor and Goodheart's decision to publish Cardinal in an elegant translation opens the door to a world rich in language and thought that we should be grateful to share." --The Philadelphia Inquirer.

"...a profligate yet impeccably controlled work.... "...chilling set pieces are shrewdly paced to create primitive, almost horror-story suspense. "One apt work that kept occurring to me as I read was 'gorgeous.' ... Miss Cardinal bowls over her audience with dazzling verbal artistry and emotion-stirring tours de force." --The New York Times Book Review

"Words can be guides too, escape routes marked on tattered old maps, and here the novel and the analysis come together since both are journeys towards a language that is sane and shared, visibly free of the worst of the darkness." Michael Wood, The Sunday Times (London)

A journey in self-discovery

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-18

This book is one of the best novels I've ever read. Cardinal's struggle to find herself in the mysterious depths of the unconscious is not just a story about psychoanalysis, it's a book about the ordinary processes that occur in our minds when we experience things we cannot handle growing up. It's about forgetting and remembering. It's about making discoveries and letting things go. Reading her story will make you think about how fragile our understandings of ourselves really are. I admire this book not just for its honest and captivating prose. I think it accurately portrays some of the most valuable ideas behind Freud's psychoanalytic theory.

"...a beautiful and terrifying story..."

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 1998-11-27

Aransas: The Life of a Texas Coastal County

Published in Paperback by Eakin Press (1997-06)

Authors: William Allen and Sue Hastings Taylor

List price: $29.95

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Average review score:

GREAT Sentimental Journey

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-28

I was born in Rockport, yet learned more about my hometown from reading this book! I never knew my grandparents, as they died many years before I was born, but through this book I got to know them a bit better...and I received insight into my father's role when he was County Judge for Aransas County (he never talked about his job). A wonderful read.

A Californian's perspective

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2000-07-14

I have been visiting the Gulf Coast/Aransas Pass area for 9 years now. Every time I go I am intrigued by everything I see. The history that resides there is amazing. I stay at a house on Fulton Beach Road that is filled with history. It has been in my friends family for over one hundred years. The house is actually mentioned in the book. This book is an amazing look at an amazing time in an amazing place. If you are interested in the history of the Texas Coastal Bend then this the book for you.

Thanks, John Conner San Jose, CA

GREAT book well written found lots of info on ancestors

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1998-02-03

I was suprised to find a lot of information that I did knew little about. The Notes and Sources could be another book in its self. VERY GOOD

Most underrated county in Texas

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-03-15

Growing up in San Antonio, my family frequently traveled to Rockport for the weekend. We would fish at night and go sightseeing by day. As a child I was always fascinated by the area and I grew so did this curiosity.
Four years ago I read in the Rockport Pilot's Visitor Guide that this book existed. That very day I was dragging my wife around looking for it, finally found it at the Art Museum by the beach. The entire weekend was spent skimming and reading this wonderful book. Since I have got the book I have read and re-read it many many times.
Today I enjoy visiting Rockport as often as I can. While driving around I try to picture what it was like at the turn of the century when the Aransas Hotel was still stood and the Baily Pavillion was THE place to be. Who would have thought that the little towns of Rockport and Fulton would have such a deep history?

Historical adventure tale of a Texas Gulf Coast County.

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 1998-04-20

As a resident of Rockport, in Aransas Co., Texas, but not a native, I was interested in the history of this part of the state. When Sue Taylor and Bill Allen's book, ARANSAS, A Tale of a Texas Coastal County, was published, I was among many who lined up for Sue's signature on my copy.

It was a thick book, I put it aside until I had time to go through it. I've just had 10 days off, and that was among my reading activities.

I assumed it would be historical; so I did not anticipate reading it as I do some novels. But I started. To my surprise, it caught my attention and imagination right away.

Also, to my surprise, I lingered over the words because they painted pictures I wanted to enjoy. I took much longer to read this book, because I was captivated by the words themselves.

The story moved along like an adventure tale, which the history of Texas actually is. It was dangerous, scary, wild, and took courageous and foolhardy men and women to survive. Texas had citizens with those characteristics on both sides of the Rio Grande.

The saga of many real families unfolded. Reading ARANSAS was like looking at a photograph album of one's grandparents--or great-grandparents. You never met them, but through this book you do know them. They became real people, with real personalities.

I did not know of the participation of Aransas County in both the Texas Revolution and the Civil War. It was a port to be conquered by the "other" side in both wars--a strategic military outpost. Other history books refer to the importance of Copano Bay.

Throughout the book the authors give geographic locations of homes or stores or hotels or fishing or cattle wharfs. In the back the references are detailed. We can still visit these places. That's my next goal--to find where history happened, and is still going on.

Frances Mayo

At the Bonehouse (Texas Review Southern and Southwestern Poetry Breakthrough Series)

Published in Paperback by Texas Review Press (1998-03)

Author: Jack Bedell

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Average review score:

His Home, My Home

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-07

Dr. Bedell's poetry is what inspires me to be a proud Louisianian and writer. I am a bit biased since I personally know Dr. Bedell, but his poems really do "speak" to me. This book and anything else by Jack Bedell is well worth the buy.

His Home, My Home

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-07

superb, beautiful narrative!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-11

This book is full of engaging, accurate stories that bring to life the culture and landscape of south Louisiana. Bedell knows exactly when to pull back and let the story tell itself; he never forces preconceived or contrived emotions on the reader. Like it says on the book, I'd buy one and send one to a friend...

This book sings to me.

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1998-07-12

It is easy to forget the beauty and richness that real life - real people have to offer. Jack brings the reader home with him, offering beauty and reality with the wonderful trip.

This book is one of the greatest influences of my life.

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1998-05-18

Jack Bedell's "At the Bonehouse" takes me back to a time and place in which i had forgotten. Many of us do not absorb the surroundings captured in his work. I have learned to not take life for granted because it is all beautiful. As a teacher, writer, editor and friend, Jack shares his view of life with us willingly. His work has greatly influenced my own writing in poetry and also fiction. In my eyes Jack Bedell is a mentor and he should be for all other aspiring poet's.

Balenciaga and His Legacy: Haute Couture from the Texas Fashion Collection

Published in Hardcover by Yale University Press (2006-12-24)

Author: Myra Walker

List price: $50.00

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Average review score:

Balenciago, Claudia de Osborne, & Neiman Marcus

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-27

The pictures are stunning and cover a range of designs. What surprised me was how much I enjoyed reading about a woman who collected the textile art of Balenciaga and the history of Neiman Marcus. The author included pictures of Balenciaga creations being worn by their owner. Somehow that added a special touch and made this more than a collection of photographs of elegant clothing. I look forward to enjoying this book for many years.

Seminal Text on Balenciaga

Helpful Votes: 12 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-19

My company produced the mannequins used to exhibit the couture in this fine text, so for me it was a delight, that bias aside, the forward by Givenchy is worth the cover price alone. The text my Myra Walker is insightful and the book is beautifully ilustrated. Seeing Balenciaga's illustrations along side his creations is a joy for any true fashionista. The book is a homage to Balenciaga's work, but not Balenciaga, who was a private and complicated gentleman, and who would like to remembered that way, for his work, not for himself.

absolutely beautiful

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-30

gorgeous pics of gorgeous clothes. this guy is my fav. when it comes to couture and this book won't disappoint. well worth the money. yeah, Dior is great too but this guy really is the 'master'

Superb!

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-01

M. Balenciaga was a master couturier so lacking today as one considers haute couture, especially, as the French houses of haute couture are virtually gone. At the time of M. Balenciaga's impact from the 1930s through 1968 when he closed his Parisian house, there were many more houses of haute couture. He, like Chanel, Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain, Mainbocher, Jacques Fath, Schiaparelli, Vionnet, and Gres to name a few, flourished as women from around the globe turned to the tradition and process of the haute couture as the pinnacle of what it meant to being well-dressed. Out of this number, the creations of M. Balenciaga stand-out. There is that certain something about his work which commands and rivets the attention. Yes, unquestionably elegant, imbued with masterful design, quality, and exacting a nobility for the wearer which she may or may not have actually possessed, but still whenever I view his creations I think to myself "more". Unlike today where being anonymous seems to be the rule of what passes for style, M. Balenciaga assured a woman would never be forgotten. This volume pays homage to that certain something and begs the question "where are the contemporary talents?" At the moment, in Paris there are only in my view, Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel and Valentino. These individuals know how to dress their haute couture clients (especially, those not wishing to dress perennially 18 years old) whereas the remaining haute couture houses present nothing but a media circus, for too long lead by that dreadful costumier posing as a couturier at Christian Dior. For the sheer pleasure of pondering something beautiful, I recommend this volume as well as Balenciaga by Marie-Andrée Jouve and Jacqueline Demornex published in 1991.

Balenciaga and his legacy

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-17

This is a fabulous book! I love the images and history. I would recommend it to anyone who has an appreciation for fashion history and photography.

Biggie and the Fricasseed Fat Man

Published in Hardcover by Thorndike Press (2000-11)

Author: Nancy Bell

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Average review score:

Soothing

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-23

If you read mysteries for intricate plots, this probably is not your cup of tea. Plot in the Biggie mysteries is secondary to atmosphere and quirky characters--and the books have plenty of both. Jobs Crossing, Texas becomes very real, and the reader comes to feel he actualy knows the inhabitants.

There is a charm to it all, a soothing feeling. Cozy must have been especially chosen as a name for the sub-genre, just for this series. Oh, there are villains, but they aren't really all that evil. And there are murders, but only for the sake of a plot that can allow the writer to lay in atmosphere and character. I do wish I could have gone home with Biggie (who is really quite small) and J.R. and had a meal with them and played a game of Chinese checkers with Rosebud.

The book is lightweight, to be sure, but so is angel food cake, and I like that as well.

Corny, Colloquial Cozy

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2003-07-25

With plenty of stops for chow time (and chow chow) and a policeman whose priority is his pie, this homespun mystery novel (set during the Christmas season) has an accent almost as thick as the gravy covering the body of fricasseed fat man. In Job's Crossing, if the cholesterol doesn't kill you the colloquialisms might. Please note that the term "funeralized" really ISN'T an every day term in Texas, nor do we all talk like this. The charm of grandma/detective Biggie and grandson/detective J.R. almost overcomes the hokey-ness of the time warp they appear to be stuck in. While the local actuarial tables would surely indicate that Job's Crossing could be hazardous to your health, never fear, for Biggie and J.R. will surely sort things out. Gossip, glop, and a spare grandma all garnish this very corny, colloquial cozy mystery.

Big entry in the Biggie regional amateur mystery series

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1998-11-08

Biggie Weatherford takes her grandson J.R. to the opening of Job's Crossing, Texas' newest eatery, The Fresh-as-a-Daisy Restaurant. However, instead of enjoying a meal, the amateur detective duo discover the restaurant's owner, Firman Birdsong, has been murdered and stuffed like a chicken to be roasted.

Biggie personally believes that it is her divine right to investigate the murder. She and J.R. soon find several suspects with motives. However, before she can complete her

inquiries, the maternal grandparents of J.R. arrive to take the lad back with them. Feeling that his beloved Biggie is obsessed with sleuthing, an unwanted J.R. runs away, leaving Biggie with two cases to ponder.

If anyone has read the two previous Biggie tales, they might initially feel that their third novel is a repeat. In many ways, it is. However, the story line is freshened up by the crack in the relationship between J.R. and Biggie, and the appearance of the other grandparents. The mystery is well written and built around hoe-down humor and cardiac-giving (but delicious) food. With BIGGIE AND THE FRICASSEED FAT MAN, Biggie remains a big player in the regional amateur sleuth sub-genre.

Harriet Klausner

Murder with gravy on top

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-07

Nancy Bell has whipped up some wonderful characters residing in Job's Crossing, Texas. There is the wonderfully big hearted, but minute Biggie, and her resident 12 year old grandson J.R. and a cast of other fun characters.

Biggie and J.R. go out for a big night on the town, the opening of the town's brand new, all chicken restaurant. The proprietor is nowhere to be found in all of the hustle and bustle, until he is found, served up dead with gravy on top! Biggie takes it upon herself to help her cousin, the local sheriff solve this crime.

During this Christmas holiday season, J.R.'s other grandparents arrive, with intentions of taking J.R. back home with them. The boy is forced to learn about love and loyalty v.s. the value of a dollar. What choice will he make? Is Biggie to busy for him anymore? What would it be like to spend Christmas, or to live with his rich grandparents?

As I detest spoilers I won't give any more plot elements. The sub-plots were all woven together very well. The gore factor was very light. (I will say that it was a murder tastefully done, with a flourish and garnish at that!) I don't recall any strong language or adult situations in the book. With the story taking place in the holiday season, while this book can be read at any time during the year, it may be a nice addition to the holiday reading pile.

Interesting a real charmer

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 1999-04-16

This is the third in the series bringing readers smack-dab into the grits and gravy lives of Biggie Weatherford and those close to her in Joe's Crossing, Texas. The grand opening of the Fresh-as-a-Daisy Chicken Restaurant and take-out (featuring sweet-and-sour to southern fried chicken) is the unlikely setting of a murder. The body of the owner, Firman Birdsonis found under a table covered in gravy and garnished with tomato and parsley. Biggie, the grandmother we've all wished for, rounds up her posse-Willie May, the best cook south of the Mason-Dixon. Rosebud the handy man-driver-raconteur, Paul and Siles the one man (yes, one man) police department and Jr. Biggies ten your old grandson and they unite to uncover this tasteless killer. To add to the chicken-pot-pie, JR's other grandmother and her ersatz cowboy husband Skinny crash into town to take JR to live with them at their ranch. The reader will eagerly await the next glimpse into Jobs Crossing and the southern-fried charmers Nancy Bill's stories evoke.

The Biker's Guide to Texas: 25 Great Motorcycle Rides in the Lone Star State

Published in Paperback by Maverick Publishing Co. (2005-07-19)

Author: Dorothy Waldman

List price: $18.95

New price: $11.45
Used price: $35.39

Average review score:

Try it, you'll like it!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-16

25 rides covering the majority of the state, ride distances and styles. I throughly enjoyed the way various rides are themed. Ms. Waldman gives many useful tips and valuable information, for example "Be sure your tank is full and you have replenished your provisions before you set out from Alpine. There are no towns for the next eighty miles. There is no place to stop for food or fuel. All you have is what you take with you." Ms. Waldman did her homework, she lists many interesting resturants, muesumes and local attractions for the many varied areas she travels. The wealth of diversity alone makes this book stand tall among Texas travel guides. I will be utilizing this guide when planning trips, to look for destinations, attractions, eateries and other entertaining distractions. I recomend it . . . Try it, you'll like it!

Great tour guide.

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-30

Just got this book and have read about half of it. Have riden some of the roads but not in the layout this book offers. I will be riding as many of the routes shown in the book. Has some really great information on what is ahead and what to look out for.

Rev it up with this great book!

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-01

You need not be a motorcycle rider or a Texan to benefit from this latest contribution to the travel genre.
In her eloquent lyrical style, Ms Waldman takes us across the varied terrain of Texas and magically transports the reader to such diverse locales as Palo Duro Canyon in the Panhandle and the Big Thicket forests of deep East Texas.
I have ridden many of the routes described in the book and find the information accurate and helpful.
This book is a wonderful resource for the serious rider and also a vacation for the mind for the vicarious reader.

Bikers Guide to Texas

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-31

I am a native Texan and have been a bike rider since 1962. This book does more for the novice, general or expert rider than any book on riding in Texas that is currently on the market.
I was luckly enough to meet the author and the three riders on the cover are from the midlifecycles.com riding group.
Enjoy and buy an extra copy for Christmas and send it to any rider you know. They will really appreciate it.
Chuck Boyd

Great new guide book!

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-10

I recently received this book as a gift, and it makes me want to get out on the road! The book has clear, carefully delineated maps to go with each of the rides across Texas. The directions are very clear but not dry because the author spices them up with relevant tips and cultural/historical information for each area. My favorite part is the "Highlights Along the Way" section at the end of each ride. Did you know you can visit vineyards near Stonewall, TX and try French Bordeaux wine? (ride #15 in the Hill Country) Or visit a museum dedicated to Texas' Danish culture and Viking heritage in Danevang? (ride #20)

Though the book is marketed to bikers, many of the rides would be appropriate for cyclists looking for longer rides. Some of the rides are in the 60-70 mile range.

Great book! It would make a good gift for the biker who has everything. It's hard to believe it took so long to get such a good guide book for bikers in Texas on the market.

Billy Boy: A Novel

Published in Hardcover by Simon & Schuster (2001-09-25)

Author: Bud Shrake

List price: $21.00

New price: $0.98
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $21.00

Average review score:

A Great Book

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-30

This book was a great read that was almost impossible to put down. People who like golf or just want a good book should definitely pick up this one and get sucked right in. I somewhat connected to Billy because of his sense of humor and the fact we are both caddies at a fancy golf club. Not every chapter ended with a cliffhanger but the ending sure did. The plot was believable which made it a good fiction and stayed away from science fiction. Over all I thought this was a great book and I would recommend it to all.

Great Golf Book

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-03-09

This is a fabulous book. I could not put it away. It was a great story and was very dramatic. It was the ideal book.

A whiff of magic in the Texas air

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-02

When sixteen-year-old caddie Billy Boy, who's lost his mother to cancer and his gifted but war-damaged father to an explosion, finds a very old Bobby Jones seven iron in a roadside ditch, a whiff of magic drifts in on the 1950 Forth Worth, Texas air. The club belongs to famous golf course designer John Bredemus, who soon arrives in search. Bredemus seems to know a little too much about Billy Boy, but the lad needs someone to lean on while he gets his feet under him and the two quickly form an alliance.

By way of reward for finding the club, Bredemus buys supper, and the next morning loans the club to Billy, insisting that he bring it to the Colonial Golf Club, where he's trying to establish himself as a caddie. "It's a very lucky club," Bredemus says.

Sure enough, Colonial Golf Club's most famous member, the legendary Ben Hogan, notices the club and asks Billy Boy if he'd like to carry his bag for a quick nine holes, setting in motion a series of events that culminate in Billy Boy's winner-take-all match with Sonny Stonekiller, the club champion and rival for Billy Boy's flame Sandra Sandpaster.

If all this seems a little too pat, never fear. "Billy Boy" is great fun and a terrific golf read and Shrake's plot beautifully set up. You'll find yourself rooting hard for Billy Boy to win out. I recommend it for those who love sports adventure themes.

Art Tirrell is the author of The VITAMAN Effect a baseball yarn with a special twist. Available on Kindle now, and in print August 2008.

Another mystical golf novel

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2001-12-19

There are reasons why golf is described as 90 percent mental. It's primarily to sell golf literature like Shrake's novel. Ever read an intriguing golf book about swing plane and hip rotation?

Shrake's book is one in a long line like it. The main character, Billy, loses both his parents in a matter of weeks, and it is up to him to make it on his own. Set in Texas during the 1950s, two of Texas' golfing "Gods" guide Billy from being a caddie to beating the upstart young club champion. This book has all the cliched elements, including John Bredemus' role as a guardian angel, who unveils the mental elements of game, and Hogan, who teaches Billy "the secret" of the swing.

Had Sharke not written such a wonderful story, I would have cast it in the lot with all the other bad golf novels out there. There are life lessons more than golf lessons inside, including the drive to gain independence and what it means to honor yourself and family.

I just wish a golf novel could written without all those "Gods" watching down.

Bud Shrake Aces Another One

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2001-10-05

A terrific book for both golfers and dreamers. Read it, then keep it in your golf bag next to your 7-iron for good luck.